[myTouch 3G Slide Android Development] lesstalk:
How to Root the MyTouch Slide

v1.0 Brandt DeLorenzo 7/19/2010

(I tried to add links, but I couldn't because I was still a newbie on the forum...oh well)

Required Hardware

Windows, Linux, or Mac Computer

USB Cable

T-Mobile MyTouch Slide with SD card

Required Computer Software

ADB Drivers for your computer

The Android SDK

Command Line editor

Required Files

Root.zip

MyTouch Slide Rom(s)

Optional Apps

Rom Manager (by ClockWorkMod)

Any backup app from the market (like MyBackUp Pro)

Step 1: Install Required Software on the Computer

I.	In order for your device to communicate with the computer, you will need the proper ADB drivers. ADB Drivers should install automatically when you attach your MyTouch Slide to your computer when using a PC. If you need to manually install the drivers for a PC, locate and install the HTC Sync Update program on your computer.

II.	On the device, go to Settings > Application > Development and turn on USB Debugging.

III.	Download the Android SDK and unzip the directory in your C: drive somewhere where you can easily find it. I’d also suggest renaming the SDK folder from android-sdk-windows to something shorter, like “asdk”. You do not need to install anything inside that SDK folder after you unzip it. Just move it to the C: directory and rename the folder to something short and easy to type, like “asdk”.

IV.	You need to add the Android SDK Tool folder to your system path if you’re using a Windows PC. Go to Control Panel > System > Advanced > Environment Variables > In System Variables, highlight "Path" and click Edit. Add C:\asdk\tools to the end of the string. Be sure there is a semi-colon between the last entry and C:\androidsdk\tools. For example, it might look like this:

C:\WINDOWS\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0;C:\asdk\tools

Then click OK on all of the windows and you're done with this step

V.	Be sure that you have a working command line editor for your computer. For example, Windows users can go to Start > Run > (type CMD) > OK.

Step 2: Download and Move Some Files

I.	Download the Root.zip file from Eugene's thread about rooting the Slide, unzip the contents (update.zip, ota.zip, and loop) and place them all in the C:/asdk/tools folder. This zip file contains all of the files that will unlock your MyTouch Slide and install the Recovery software to make everything easier in the future.

II.	Find the MyTouch Slide Rom that you want to install. You may download as many as you want if you plan on switching between different versions of Android. You can find many of those Roms here or on AndroidSPIN. Download them to your computer and then move them to your SD card. They should be anywhere from 50MB to 150MB each.

Step 3: Preparing for Root

I.	Before we begin the process, we need to test ADB to make sure your device can be seen by the computer. Connect your MyTouch Slide (it should be on right now) to your computer via the USB cable. Open up your command line editor and get to the Android SDK tools folder. If you named your SDK folder ‘asdk’, then you would type CD C:/asdk/tools and hit enter. You should see the prompt change from C:/ to C:/asdk/tools>. Type loop and hit enter.

II.	If ADB is working, you will see a continuous loop of commands running up the screen. Hold down Ctrl+C to temporarily stop the loop and look for something that says:

List of Devices Attached

HT05RPS02484	Online

If you see something like this, type Y and hit enter. (Your device number may be different than display above)

If ADB is not working, go here to troubleshoot ADB and make sure that you can get the loop to detect your device before you go any further.

III.	Perform a backup of any applications or data that you would like to restore. I’d suggest backing up applications, contacts, or any data that may not sync back to your device. You can find an application in the Android Market to complete these tasks. I prefer MyBackUp Pro.

*Mac and Linux users may need to put a ./ in front of anything that is typed in the command line. Like ./loop instead of loop.

Step 4: Beginning the Root Process

I.	Power off your device. Hold the Volume Down Key and Press the Power button at the same time. Hold both buttons until the screen comes up in Bootloader mode.

II.	In your command line editor, be sure that you are in the C:/asdk/tools> prompt. Type loop and then hit enter. You should see:

List of Devices Attached

HT05RPS02484	Offline

III.	Select Recovery from the menu. Use the volume buttons to move up and down. Use the Power button to select the option. You should now see a dark screen with a black device and a red triangle with an exclamation point inside. Hold the Volume Up button and press the Power button. You should now see the Android system recovery (2e) screen.

If you kept the loop running, it should change to say:

List of Devices Attached

HT05RPS02484	Recovery

If it doesn’t change, unplug the USB cable from the device and plug it back in.

If your device number and “Recovery” appears, you can now stop the loop with Ctrl+C. If you do not see your device number and “Recovery”, you need to power off your device and try again. This may take a few tries.

IV.	On the device, scroll down to Update.zip and select it using the Power button. It will display an error message that it failed. This should be expected and is part of the process.

V.	In the command line editor, you should still be in the C:/asdk/tools> prompt. Type adb push ota.zip /sdcard/update.zip and hit enter.

VI.	This is the most difficult part of the process. Type adb push update.zip /sdcard into the command line editor, but do not click enter yet.

VII.	On the device, scroll down to Apply sdcard:update.zip and as soon as you select it with the Power button, click enter in the command line editor on your computer. The process should be all done within a second. If you did this properly, a new window in green text should appear with the title “Clockword Mod Recovery v2.5.0.1” or another version number.

VIII.	Now you are in Clockwork Mod Recovery. First, scroll down to the partitions menu and make sure it does not say ‘mount system’. If it does say ‘mount system’, highlight it and hit the Power button to mount it.

IX.	Scroll down to apply sdcard:update.zip and click the Power button to select it.

X.	Power down the device. Follow the steps to get back into ClockWorkMod Recovery, but you won’t need to complete step VII. Simply select Apply sdcard:update.zip and hit the Power button to get back into ClockWorkMod Recovery in the future. (If a blank screen appears when you hit the Power button, press the Trackpad as the enter button.)

XI.	On the computer, you should run the loop command to determine if the device is connected again. If it is, type adb install superuser.apk and hit enter. You have full root access.

Step 5: Installing a Rom

I.	If you have already performed a backup of your files, you can now wipe the device from the ClockWorkMod screen. Scroll down to wipe data/factory reset and hit the Power button. You will be prompted with another screen with a Yes – delete all user data prompt. Select Yes – delete all user data and hit the Power button.

II.	After the wipe has completed, scroll to install zip from sdcard and hit the Power button. Then scroll to choose zip from sdcard and hit the Power button. Now locate the Rom you want to install. Press the Power button to select the Rom and install it.

Managing your Roms

To make your life easy, download and install the Rom Manager application by ClockWorkMod. From this application, you can backup & restore your Roms, reboot into recovery with one click, partition your drives, and find new supported Roms for your device.